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Spring Awakenings

May 1st, the traditional day when the radical bourgeoisie march up to the city to throw dirty looks and the occasional brick at banks that hold their trust fund accounts and shout about the unfairness of society while wearing £100 trainers!

However, as I have to work for a living, today’s post is news from April, which has been a very busy month with the highlight being my morning judging entries for this year’s Chocolate Week awards. I’ll be posting my guide soon to appreciating quality chocolate based on the education I received while savouring mouthfuls of the good stuff.

This month also saw the first edition of ARTICLE magazine go on sale and below is an edited version of one of two features I’ve contributed.

THE moment the earth yields rather than resists the sharp edge of a spade is almost a miraculous one, telling without calendar or clock that repressive dark nights and mornings are on their way out and heralding hope of better weather.

When cherries are shipped from Egypt, all plump with juice when our own trees are laden with snow, and the oranges that fill Christmas fruit bowls are flown in from Spain, it is understandable how so many have lost connection with the seasons.

Before the global supply chain the Spring Equinox, the pagan festival held when the length of the day is equal to that of the night, celebrated not just the return of the light but also that of certain foods, which had become mere memories during winter – lush berries, chewy apples and crunchy beets.

It’s the gardeners, growers and rural communities of this country that are privileged to have a front row seat for the re-birth of the natural world. How many of us city dwellers notice the turn of green to brown yet overlook the first growth of new leaves and buds?

Renowned horticulturist Richard Vine first became aware of his calling during trips to his grandfather’s farm. It was here, as a boy of eight, that he first became aware of the change of seasons.

Gardening has long been a British obsession – for many the only way to absorb calm in a hectic existence. The working garden is the new allotment, especially in densely populated cities where waiting lists for council owned patches of land can sometimes reach five years.

This desire for greenery, to grow your own produce, is leading an exciting revival of secret gardens, tucked away on roofs and happened upon in corners of estates. As Vine says: “When spring starts, it is a time of joy, anticipation, rejuvenation and positivity – I treasure every moment.”

Rachel Pook is on a journey to Patagonia, following Paul Theroux's footsteps in his 1979 book The Old Patagonian Express. Retracing the original route, this blog will explore how the landscapes, people, railways, cultures and societies have changed since Theroux's original trip.